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Evitar diferencialmente a las salamandras miméticas por las aves que viven en libertad
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 11, 1980
Resumen
Las aves silvestres evitaron las salamandras con una coloración que imitaba a los tritones tóxicos. Este estudio demuestra el mimetismo.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Ecología Ecología Ecología.
- Biología evolutiva Biología evolutiva.
- Comportamiento animal Comportamiento animal.
Sus antecedentes:
- El mimetismo es una estrategia evolutiva común en la que una especie evoluciona para parecerse a otra.
- La efectividad de la imitación en las salamandras se ha estudiado principalmente en entornos controlados de laboratorio.
- Las interacciones depredador-presa son cruciales para dar forma a estas dinámicas evolutivas.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Investigar la eficacia de la imitación en las salamandras contra los depredadores aviares en libertad en un entorno naturalista.
- Para determinar si los depredadores aviares pueden distinguir entre las morfologías de las salamandras miméticas y no miméticas.
- Proporcionar la primera evidencia de la efectividad de la imitación contra las aves silvestres.
Principales métodos:
- Se presentó a una comunidad aviar que vivía en libertad dos morfologías de la salamandra de espalda roja oriental (Plethodon cinereus): una morfología mimética y una morfología no mimética.
- La morfología mimética se asemejaba a la fase eft del tritón rojo con manchas tóxicas (Notophthalmus viridescens).
- Se observaron y registraron eventos de depredación para evaluar el comportamiento de evitación.
Principales resultados:
- Los depredadores aviares evitaron significativamente la morfología mimética del Plethodon cinereus en comparación con la morfología no mimética.
- Este comportamiento de evitación se observó en un entorno naturalista con aves no enjauladas.
- La sabrosa salamandra Desmognathus ochrophaeus también se utilizó en el experimento.
Conclusiones:
- La coloración mimética en las salamandras es efectiva para disuadir la depredación de las aves silvestres.
- Este estudio proporciona la primera evidencia empírica del éxito de la imitación contra los depredadores aviares que viven en libertad.
- Los hallazgos destacan la importancia ecológica de las señales visuales en las interacciones depredador-presa y la evolución del mimetismo.
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